[ WEEK THREE – TRIAL ]

[chiefexe]

TRIAL

In the morning, the beach comes back to life. Birds are back to cawing, the fish splash in the ocean, and insects buzz cheerfully from the jungle. Crabs skitter across the sand and seagulls fight over food (possibly yours). It's a frightening contrast to the stillness of yesterday but it doesn't mean it's over yet. After all, today is the trial. The Chief stands at the front of the longhouse and brings his hand up to his mouth to let out a whistle. He'll thumb back to the hut-like building behind him and very clearly state -- "Trial time, everyone. Get in here and figure out who did it." And then he'll turn to head in. The other Chief helpfully pipes up with a, "Make sure to bring a snack, and maybe some water. Hydration is key to catching murderers!" The longhouse is set up like a meeting hall, with long benches on each wall, facing each other. There's a table at the front of the room already holding a small box and a pad of papers and pen, for voting apparently. Aside from that, the room is empty. It’s only when everyone has taken a seat that the doors close and the Chief speaks. "Well, have at it. You've got till nine." And then, he points to a clock on the wall that reads 12:00. Good luck. Welcome to the trial post! Characters are free to discuss everything related to the trial here. They won't be let out of the room until 9PM when voting ends. Every character must vote and the voting post can be found here. If there are any questions, please shoot a message to this journal or to tikirobo.

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Comments

[cutefaced]

...if he made the suspicious list before Wednesday, that might be why. He wouldn't have known about what happened in the jungle then.

[zerotohiro]

I'm gonna guess he did. We don't know when he told Hayner or if he even told anybody else. But it could explain what he told me and it shaves down his list of suspects a little. It leaves...a handful of other people, but it's a start.

[cutefaced]

Hayner just confirmed the list was made on Tuesday night... so we know for sure that as of Wednesday, Lelouch didn't consider Jacopo suspicious anymore.

[zerotohiro]

I hate this. [He's scrubbing a hand over his face.] I hate that we even have to consider this and that it leaves seven other people. That's still Akira, Vriska, Kyouko, Serph, and all three Jacks.

They're partnered with Raven, Jinah, Erhard, Bellamy, Battler, Jaffar, and Newt.

Raven and Bellamy are from the same world and they're partnered with two of the people on that list. However, they're both pretty injured and could probably be ruled out entirely. Jaffar has Nino and would want to stay alive long enough to protect her.

Akira, Raven, Bellamy and Serph all have Magilou and each other as alibi witnesses so far. So we could take Akira and Serph off of the list.

That leaves...Vriska, Kyouko and the Jacks again. I'm going to tentatively rule out Kyouko just because after talking to her I really, really don't think she'd do it. She's clinical and systematic, I don't think she'd kill violently. So now we're down to Vriska and the three Jacks based on that list.

So what happens next?

[cutefaced]

...if you're taking off Kyouko for that reason, then I want to take Vriska off too.

[Yona is not especially good at figuring out how to phrase things - especially not like this. But she'll try.]

Vriska and I argue a lot, but this kind of thing isn't... I mean... it's not really her style, either. If she did kill it might be violently, but... if she was going to kill someone, I don't think it would have been either of them. I mean, she's been kind of rude ever since we got here, but it seemed like she sort of got along with them.

There's no reason for her to kill people she found tolerable and get stuck with people who annoyed her, you know?

[fragmento]

It wasn't her.

[ his shoulders square as he says that. ]

[cutefaced]

I know. I told her and Akira earlier that I didn't think it was either of them.

[hypertoxic]

It's alright, you two. I appreciate it, but I can defend myself. Hiro is trying to narrow down the list of suspects just like I was last week. I don't blame him for doing it.

[zerotohiro]

...I'll take Vriska off the list for now, sure. At least until we can officially rule out the Jacks.

So now yeah, we come back to the Jacks. All three of them had their profiles featured, all three of them are here and accounted for, but it's a wildcard of what's going to happen.

Jack--the loud Jack--had a lot on his profile. "Embezzlement, inside trading, insubordination, corporate sabotage, inappropriate applications of technology, sins against the universe." His twin has "terrible life choices" and blonde Jack is just "questionable determination."

Is it wrong to think that the one with the most on his profile probably isn't our guy either? Seems way too obvious.

[completelycrazy]

Jack, Prussia, and I were together on Thursday. You can cross him off, too.

[zerotohiro]

Jack like...your partner Jack. [THERE ARE TOO MANY JACKS, NEWT.]

[almosthandsome]

It wasn't me or my twin. Other Jack is a squeamish, soft dude who freaks out over death and violence.

[zerotohiro]

Jack...look, I get it, but. Are you trying to tell me that your twin wouldn't even do it if it meant defending himself or anything?

[hypertoxic]

[ WELL. well. this is something.

Vriska will take a deep breath in and out before jumping in on this conversation. ]

Alright. I was keeping this quiet because I didn't want to freak anyone out, but if it will help me clear my name, I am willing to explain.

Before I got here, I used to have powers. Flight, psychic abilities, luck manipulation, all kinds of shit! That was how I fought. I've never actually fought an opponent in any kind of bare-handed fight. The one time I did get into a "fight" with one of my old friends, she kicked my ass so hard I died from blood loss! It is a long story how I came back to life, and it's not relevant right now. Again, this is just to make a point. I wouldn't be able to physically overpower pretty much anybody. Which I hate admitting, because it can make me a fucking target for some opportunist around here! But it is the truth.

[cutefaced]

...

You could fly?

[why is this what yona is taking away from that, oh my god]

[hypertoxic]

Yup! It was great. I had these cute fairy wings, too. All gone now! Somehow.

[redtides]

I do have a question about the list, generally speaking. Why do we think it's that important? Is it just because the one that wrote it is dead, or is there some reason to believe he has more insight?

[ mera says it like an asshole because she's rude but she does genuinely want to know ]

[cutefaced]

Because he was trying to narrow down who had a killing role, and he turned up dead. ...at least, that's why I've been thinking about it.

[She doesn't know about the others.]

[redtides]

I think my point is that I don't know if it should be weighed as heavily as it is. We know he told some people about it, and people that were on that list, but unless he also wrote down who he told, then we could be missing people he didn't suspect at all. If he told someone he trusted and they betrayed him, then of course they wouldn't be there.

[ She sighs, frustrated, but it's at the entire trial, as always ]

...I know it's our best lead, but we are deciding heavily based on one person's impressions.

[killerfang]

... There is little else left to us.

[ Jaffar pipes up. They keep having this conversation every week - people want something more concrete to base their decisions on, and Jaffar simply doesn't think they're ever going to get it. ]

[cutefaced]

[It's not just their best lead, it's their only lead... but Yona can understand where Mera is coming from, too, and so she nods slowly.]

...then... what do you think? Is there something else we should be focusing on that we've overlooked...?

[jokered]

I think... Mera's point is that it could still be anyone that isn't on Lelouch's list, and ignoring that possibility to hyperfocus could be bad too. Not to rule anyone out or say nobody he suspected could have done it—

But there are still a lot of people that could have done it too, probably.

[thewinner]

He told me about it tuesday night.

[ Does that help? He does look at Hiro and Yona and then quickly away. Feeling. Guilty. ]

[cutefaced]

...that helps a lot.

[She's gonna reach over and put a hand on his forearm.]

Thank you, Hayner.

[zerotohiro]

[There's a slight grin.]

Thanks, dude. That helps a lot.